Meet The Band

Behind the scenes with the guys who make the magic happen.

About Us

The Why Store is led by Chris Shaffer an intense, emotional songwriter with a repertoire of 150+ original songs. Add to that another 30 covers, years of musical expertise and comradery from Troy Seele, Dan Hunt and Jerome Rieskamp — what you get on stage is a unique experience every night.

CHRISVocals/Guitar

If someone’s going to listen to my music and it brings joy to them and makes people happy and helps them get through something then there’s a happiness maybe and it helps them stick around this world for another day … I believe that’s staying true to yourself and not selling out …

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TROYLead Guitar

I’m having a blast. The Why Store is a big can of worms you get to open up. A lot of people don’t know this – there’s no set list on stage, we don’t rehearse outside of getting on the stage. When we work on songs, usually we pull them out live …

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JEROMEDrums

I feel youthful [playing with The Why Store] Chris’s music is timeless. It crosses all colors, boundaries, ages and I feel blessed to be able to be a part of it.

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DANBass

Yah, I’m having fun … You don’t “work” music … you “play”. Even my wife says ‘you don’t go to work … you go to play.’

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Our Story

The Why Store was formed in the late 1980s in Muncie, Indiana. In 1993, the band independently recorded Welcome to the Why Store. One year later the band recorded Inside the Why Store. Both albums were locally successful, and The Why Store began getting attention from record labels. In 1995, The Why Store signed to MCA’s subsidiary Way Cool Music for their first major-label effort, a self-titled LP, which was released in 1996.

Their major label debut on MCA Records spawned several hits. The first single, “Lack Of Water”, was a #1 hit on Triple-A Radio; the band performed “Surround Me” on Late Night with Conan O’ Brien and saw their video for “Father” receive rotation on MTV2 and VH1. The Why Store was a Top 20 album for 1996 and went on to sell 200,000 copies.

The Why Store split up in 2000 citing creative differences, though each member has continued onto different projects, most notably Shaffer who has recorded several solo disks as well as recording with his first post-Why Store band, Shaffer Street.

In 2007, Shaffer reincarnated The Why Store with an exciting new album called VIM. Produced by Rusty Anderson, Paul McCartney’s long time guitarist, VIM showcases Chris’s passionate songwriting and refreshingly edgy vocal ability. “It was a magical experience, definitely the best thing I’ve ever done,” says Shaffer.

In 2016, The Why Store released a Live album Live at the Slippery Noodle featuring “Everybody” and SIX previously unreleased tracks available at shows, their website, CD Baby or iTunes.

Once again … The Why Store is officially, open for business…

“I love playing music from my heart … from my soul. I’ve been blessed and lucky to do this for the last 20+ years. Doing what I love is a blessing.”